[Albion] Solly March, local lad and Premier League star, is f***ing brilliant

[Pavilionaire]

Solly has improved his game immensely in almost every department, apart from finishing. In that regard he is no better than most Premier League full- backs / wing- backs.

He doesn't have searing space, he doesn't play killer balls but he is intelligent, can draw fouls, can cross and can cover the right and the left wings. He also understands Potter's tactics and philospohy and is one of our most experienced players.

He is one of those players - like Maupay and Lallana - that have been good for us but would need to deliver more end product to be regular starter in any other top half side.

It means that it falls to Mac, Gross, Welbeck or Trossard to score and - historically - you'd be lucky to get 30 goals out of them a season, which is not going to get you into the top 8.

This is why we need to sign a striker - not just to replace Maupay but also to take the pressure off the Marches and Lallanas of this world who can help the team, but not with goals.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Solly has improved his game immensely in almost every department, apart from finishing. In that regard he is no better than most Premier League full- backs / wing- backs.

He doesn't have searing space, he doesn't play killer balls but he is intelligent, can draw fouls, can cross and can cover the right and the left wings. He also understands Potter's tactics and philospohy and is one of our most experienced players.

He is one of those players - like Maupay and Lallana - that have been good for us but would need to deliver more end product to be regular starter in any other top half side.

It means that it falls to Mac, Gross, Welbeck or Trossard to score and - historically - you'd be lucky to get 30 goals out of them a season, which is not going to get you into the top 8.

This is why we need to sign a striker - not just to replace Maupay but also to take the pressure off the Marches and Lallanas of this world who can help the team, but not with goals.

We were discussing this on Saturday. Apart from winning the penalty at West Ham (and should have had one at Utd) Welbeck has not had a single decent chance in all four games. They've all fallen to midfielders, wing backs or centre backs. If we're going to play like this all season we need to somehow hope that March and Webster's finishing improves because Welbeck is going to be the fulcrum in the approach play. Given we have the best defensive record in the league and five goals from midfielders I'd say we're not really doing too badly.

When Potter says that any new striker needs to be in the Welbeck mould he means so we can carry on playing how we are, not so the new guy will get 20 goals a season. Undav, from what I've seen, will finish chances but he's not as quick or as much of an all round footballer as Welbz.

 

[Weststander]

A good measure of a players importance (using a lot of hypotheticals).

If he played for the opposition, would you be happy if he was injured and had to miss the game against us?

Using that test, I'm still not sure how I feel about Solly.

But non-game changers (regular scorers and assist givers) and non top internationals at other non-top 6 clubs, would not be known to other fans …. other than just a name.

Without looking it up, who are the non-internationals at Brentford, Wolves, Fulham, Leeds who quietly help tie it all together, make them hard to beat down the wings, with great engines and tenacity who carry that out for 90 minutes every week?

Albion aren’t at the money level where we have 11 players who other fans fear.

I for one am fine with that. It’s a team game, Solly is integral to an increasingly well oiled winning machine.

 

[The Fifth Column]

You know when you're in a pub and there's a fella whose had a little too much to drink who then says something that stops all conversations and everyone In the pub looks at him like he's a complete grade A stroker? This thread is the online equivalent

 

[Bodian]

The 1 on 1 on Saturday wasn’t straightforward for Solly because he was on his wrong foot. His last touch needed to take him across onto his left foot but if he’d have done that then the defender might have slide in, so he kept it on his right side, his only error was to still try to finish with his left.

He’s starting by merit.

I think we also need to give the keeper credit - came out well, made himself big. It would have taken one of those wonderful chips to beat him.

It means that it falls to Mac, Gross, Welbeck or Trossard to score and - historically - you'd be lucky to get 30 goals out of them a season, which is not going to get you into the top 8.

The way Gross is going - he could get 30 on his own!

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

But non-game changers (regular scorers and assist givers) and non top internationals at other non-top 6 clubs, would not be known to other fans …. other than just a name.

Without looking it up, who are the non-internationals at Brentford, Wolves, Fulham, Leeds who quietly help tie it all together, make them hard to beat down the wings, with great engines and tenacity who carry that out for 90 minutes every week?

Albion aren’t at the money level where we have 11 players who other fans fear.

I for one am fine with that. It’s a team game, Solly is integral to an increasingly well oiled winning machine.

But we do know Solly. How would you feel if he was playing for Brentford this season, a regular starter, but was unable to play in the game against us? Glad he wasn't playing, ambivalent or disappointed because we could have targetted him? That's how it works.

Also, the "ex players always score against us" doesn't work here because in this hypothetical, he never played for us anyway - we just happen to know a lot about him.

 

[Weststander]

But we do know Solly. How would you feel if he was playing for Brentford this season, a regular starter, but was unable to play in the game against us? Glad he wasn't playing, ambivalent or disappointed because we could have targetted him? That's how it works.

Also, the "ex players always score against us" doesn't work here because in this hypothetical, he never played for us anyway - we just happen to know a lot about him.

I was responding directly to your hypothetical theme of opposition fans being nonplussed should Solly being out injured.

As a non-international, non-goals/rare assists player, I doubt they’d recognise all the strengths and pluses 90% of fans know Solly gives every game.

The 90% based on the love he gets here and increasingly loud chants at games.

Imho he helps make us incredibly hard to score against, as well as driving us forward and being a dream for Veltman, MacA and Welbeck to play with.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

The 1 on 1 on Saturday wasn’t straightforward for Solly because he was on his wrong foot. His last touch needed to take him across onto his left foot but if he’d have done that then the defender might have slide in, so he kept it on his right side, his only error was to still try to finish with his left.

He’s starting by merit.

Seemed to me that on the occasion in question, Solly just lacked the confidence to fully commit himself to taking the scoring chance. Kept looking up for somebody - anybody! - to lay the ball off to. Keeper did well, but probably sensed the hesitancy on Solly's part

 

[B-right-on]

Seemed to me that on the occasion in question, Solly just lacked the confidence to fully commit himself to taking the scoring chance. Kept looking up for somebody - anybody! - to lay the ball off to. Keeper did well, but probably sensed the hesitancy on Solly's part

Jeez, I'm agreeing with a THPP post



Cannot underestimate what confidence does to a players ability to decide quickly what to do. Welbz chips the keeper with a lovely little dink. Solly almost had too much time. He's at least getting into the positions and having a go now.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Jeez, I'm agreeing with a THPP post



Cannot underestimate what confidence does to a players ability to decide quickly what to do. Welbz chips the keeper with a lovely little dink. Solly almost had too much time. He's at least getting into the positions and having a go now.

Don't let it happen again!

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

But we do know Solly. How would you feel if he was playing for Brentford this season, a regular starter, but was unable to play in the game against us? Glad he wasn't playing, ambivalent or disappointed because we could have targetted him? That's how it works.

Also, the "ex players always score against us" doesn't work here because in this hypothetical, he never played for us anyway - we just happen to know a lot about him.

Some players help make a team tick. You don’t notice them until they aren’t there anymore. Pascal Gross has been one of those for much of his time at our club. Fans tend to not notice as they are too focused on star quality.

 

[Javeaseagull]

That 1 on 1 that Solly had was just like the one that Harry Kane had. Harry Kane! He missed as well, never mind the penalty.

 

[Pavilionaire]

You know when you're in a pub and there's a fella whose had a little too much to drink who then says something that stops all conversations and everyone In the pub looks at him like he's a complete grade A stroker? This thread is the online equivalent

Except that several thousand fans would have been thinking exactly the same thing moments after he'd fluffed the one on one with Meslier.

I don't agree with the OP, but given Solly's historic lack of goals in an improving Prem side I recognise it's an opinion with some statistical basis.

 

[Justice]

That 1 on 1 that Solly had was just like the one that Harry Kane had. Harry Kane! He missed as well, never mind the penalty.

That’s just a silly comparison, if March scored 5-8 a season this thread wouldn’t exist.

 

[heathgate]

Except that several thousand fans would have been thinking exactly the same thing moments after he'd fluffed the one on one with Meslier.

I don't agree with the OP, but given Solly's historic lack of goals in an improving Prem side I recognise it's an opinion with some statistical basis.

Look at his career stats, a large number of games in an attacking wide role,.... pitiful goal threat,... I think even Duffy and Dunk have better goal output..... he may "give his all" for the club,... but his all is just not good enough at this level.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[Javeaseagull]

That’s just a silly comparison, if March scored 5-8 a season this thread wouldn’t exist.

Why is it silly to point out that even a 20 goal a season striker (a very rare beast) can miss 1 on 1s?
You are right he should score more but I am pointing out that it is the hardest part of the game and he gets slagged off.
People have made up their minds and nothing will change them, we know what it’s like on here.

 

[Weststander]

Some players help make a team tick. You don’t notice them until they aren’t there anymore. Pascal Gross has been one of those for much of his time at our club. Fans tend to not notice as they are too focused on star quality.

This has always been the case in football.

 

[Husty]

Another quality chance goes begging…

 

[indy3050]

Another quality chance goes begging…

Who would you play in his place?

 

[WhingForPresident]

He’s a fine utility option but very much a ‘steady Eddie’. Rarely has a shocker, rarely has a blinder. Certainly a bit surprised he has started every game but GP’s opinion is worth a lot more than mine.